


I'll Still Let You In

by withthepilot



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Snowed In
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-11
Updated: 2011-12-11
Packaged: 2017-10-27 05:17:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,521
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/291996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withthepilot/pseuds/withthepilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An ill-advised drive out in a bad snowstorm lands Jim in an unexpected situation, at a cozy B&B in his own town. Turns out that he and the hot, cranky owner are crossing paths at the exact right moment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Still Let You In

**Author's Note:**

> Written for this year's round of space_wrapped on LiveJournal. The original prompt says it all: "Bones runs a B&B and Jim is marooned there by a snowstorm. Shagging ensues." I didn't have time to beta this, so hopefully, any errors are minimal. Thanks to starsandgraces for offering, all the same. And thanks to screamlet for talking it out with me, a.k.a. listening to me whine. Title taken from "Fallen Snow" by Au Revoir Simone, which I think suits the story nicely.

"JIM! Get your conniving butt back here right this instant!"

Damn, but Uhura is scary when she gets angry. I suppose I would be too, if I were the one who worked for an entire day on a final report for my boss and then placed the only copy on a single, highly snatch-able thumb drive, leaving it carelessly on my desk while I went to flirt with another coworker. Maybe it was underhanded of me, just a tad, but Uhura's problem is clearly a severe lack of foresight. We've been coworkers for three years now; she should know better than to trust me.

"Sorry, Nyota, but maybe if you weren't flirting in the break room with Spock, you would've been able to keep an eye on your file."

"I didn't think I _had_ to."

I can hear the snarl in her voice, even on my car's speakerphone. She's pissed, for sure, but it doesn't really matter now; I've already been driving for fifteen minutes, so I'm long gone, and according to my GPS, Pike's place is a mere hour away. The weather isn't so great—in fact, it sucks. What's with all the snow? It's like it's winter or something. But it's all good because I'm determined, damn it. Plus, my car can go really fast. Though that may not be such a good idea right now.

"Seriously, Jim," Uhura continues. "What on Earth is your problem?"

"It's nothing personal." I try my best to squint past the haze of snow pelting the windshield. "And I'll totally give you credit for the work. I just want to be the one to place the final product in Pike's hands. Literally. You know how he loves go-getter crap like that."

Uhura sighs. "You're such a brownnoser. And that's _if_ you even make it there, with this storm getting worse. Spock and I are leaving in a minute. They're saying it's blizzard conditions out there."

Yeah, and they aren't wrong, whoever "they" are. I turn up the speed of the windshield wipers and say a silent prayer that my four-wheel drive is in working condition. "Ooh, you and Spock," I tease, ignoring her warning. "Sharing a cab back to yours for a cozy night by the fireplace?"

"You're impossible. Goodbye, Jim. And if I don't get an email from Pike first thing in the morning, thanking me for all of my hard work on that _immaculately_ prepared report, then I'm going to put a bear trap on your desk chair. That, and tell the cute brunette at the coffee shop downstairs that you have crabs."

"I'll sing your praises, I promise. Except, uh…" I have to lean close to the steering wheel to see past the onslaught of snow, which is getting heavier now. I wonder if Uhura can hear me cringing. "I think I just missed the exit I need. _Fuck_. Why's it snowing so much? I can barely see the signs out here."

"Clearly, Mother Nature hates you as much as I do," Uhura drawls. "But be careful, okay? As much as I want to inflict pain upon you right now, I don't want you to die in a car crash."

"So you'd rather kill me yourself? That's sweet."

"Just keep your eyes on the road and pull over if you can't see."

Shows how much Uhura knows, because I stopped being able to see about two minutes ago. I hit the right-hand turn signal to switch lanes, just in case anyone behind me can actually spot it through the all the snow. "Uh, yeah. I just gotta…"

Then it happens. I start to inch over but another car comes out of nowhere, sending me into a sudden swerve. I'm pretty sure I yelp or make some kind of noise, and then I can hear Uhura shouting at me over the rush of blood in my ears. All I'm really concentrating on now is not hitting any other cars, alternately pumping the brakes and the gas as I skid across the icy, slippery road. "Jesus _FUCK_!" I shout as another car comes within mere inches, and this is probably karma and I'm going to die in a fiery wreck, all because I took that stupid thumb drive while Uhura was teaching Spock how to unhook a bra in the break room.

I shut my eyes tightly, readying myself for the worst, thinking about how very much I don't want to die, even if my job sucks and I'm risking my life to deliver a stupid thumb drive, because _who does that_? But then the car comes to a sudden stop—a soft stop—and I blink my eyes open to see the front end firmly wedged into a large snow bank. My knuckles are white from gripping the wheel and Uhura, bless her heart, is still talking at me.

"Oh, my god. Jim? Jim! Can you hear me? Are you hurt? Should I call 911?"

"Uhhh…no. Maybe? I'm, um. I'm okay." I look myself over for good measure. No missing fingers, no shards of glass or broken metal digging into my lower body. No visible blood that I can make out in the rearview mirror. I really am okay. Perfectly fine. It's a miracle. "Pfft, yeah," I scoff. "Of course I'm okay."

"Oh, good," she says. Then, "Is the thumb drive okay?"

I pat his pocket and exhale when I feel it, still intact. "…Yeah." But it sure as hell isn't getting to Pike tonight. And given that my car is already blanketed in snow, neither am I.

That's when the airbag decides to deploy. I can hear Uhura start to panic all over again as I curse and flail around. Karma really is a bitch.

*

Ultimately, I have to abandon my car. The authorities are closing down the roads and the snow isn't letting up. Apparently, the storm is worse than anybody had predicted. Typical. A cop assures me that I'll be able to come back and dig it out once the storm is over, but no one seems to have any clear sense of when that'll be.

"Where am I supposed to go?" I shout over the roar of the wind. The snow is pelting my face mercilessly and I can barely see.

The cop hooks a thumb behind him and yells back. "B&B, right up the road. Owner's a grump but he's usually got a spare room or two."

Great. Just what I planned on doing tonight—shacking up at a B&B in my own goddamn town, when my safe, cozy bed is just twenty minutes away, waiting for me.

It takes forever to trudge over there, but I see it after a while: two small windows that glow in the distance. I feel like a sailor looking for a lighthouse in the darkness. When I get closer, I can make out a small cottage of sorts, only a couple of stories tall, fairly quaint. I've probably driven by it a million times and never paid it any mind. Right now it's such a welcome sight that I hope it's not a mirage.

I let myself into the house with a blustery roar of wind trailing behind me, blowing snow and a wicked chill into the foyer. There's a man behind a mahogany desk who looks up with a start, his slightly bushy, expressive eyebrows lifting almost all the way to his hairline. I do my best to throw him a weak smile but really, all I can think right now is how blessedly _warm_ it is in here. I didn't know how cold my hands and ears were until just this second.

"Hey there," I say to the guy, and not without some difficulty, as my lips are pretty numb. "Sorry to barge in like this, but—"

"Get over here, you damned fool idiot," the man barks.

Huh. Not the sort of hospitality I've come to expect from cute little B&Bs.

"Excuse me?"

"Whaddaya got, a death wish or something?" The man gets up from his chair and stomps over to where I stand, reaching up and dusting the snow off my hair, then taking my hands in his own. More warmth. I shiver hard and he lets out another rant. "Walking around in this godforsaken blizzard with no hat and no gloves like some kind of crazed lunatic. Ever watch a weather report before you go outside? Your hands are like _ice_ , man."

I want to respond, really, I do, but I'm kind of mesmerized by this guy. I can't stop watching his large, capable hands rubbing at my palms and fingers, his sharp gaze roaming over my trembling body. Whoever he is, he's easy on the eyes. Also, he smells _great_. He's wearing some kind of woodsy aftershave that I recognize from somewhere else—nothing unique or special, but on this guy, it's intoxicating. He looks at me critically when I don't answer him and furrows his brow.

"You got a numb tongue? Can you feel your limbs? Toes?"

"Uh…yeah, yeah. I've got all of those." I clear his throat and flex my fingers, which are feeling much better already. "I wasn't really expecting to be walking around in the stuff. My car got stuck in a snowdrift and I didn't know where else to go."

The man rolls his eyes. "So you were _driving_ in the blizzard. Even better. You must be some kinda genius."

"So they tell me," I say, grinning. "And you must be the grumpy owner that the cop told me about."

Mr. Grump looks about ready to go on another tirade, a vein twitching in the middle of his forehead, when a blond woman walks breezily into the room. "Leonard's reputation precedes him," she says. She extends a hand and smiles. "Welcome to the McCoy Inn. I'm Christine. Are you spending the night with us?"

"Probably a few nights, from the looks of it," the man—Leonard, it seems—chimes in as he sits down at the desk again. "Damn fool was out driving in this weather, got his car stuck in the snow."

"'Damn fool' typically answers to Jim Kirk," I say, shaking Christine's hand. "But, you know, I'm flexible. Mrs. Grump, I presume?"

Leonard arches a brow at my little double entendre but lets Christine answer. "No, I just help Len manage the inn." She leans down and whispers in Leonard's ear, which elicits a rough grunt and—is that a blush? Oho, I think it is—from Mr. Grumpypants. Now I'm dying to know what she said. "Lucky for you, Mr. Kirk, we've got a couple of spare rooms. I'll go prepare one for you now."

"Nice woman," I say, as soon as Christine's gone. Leonard just shoves a form and a pen in my general direction.

"Sign that. And I'll need a credit card to keep on file." He glances up briefly, which gives me another chance to peer into those burnished eyes after I sign my name. "We'll give you a discounted rate, since the weather marooned you here."

"Really?" I ask, pulling out my wallet. "Don't tell me there's a glittering heart of gold under all that grump."

"More like an ulcer and a bunch of old, weary bones." He takes my credit card with a scowl. "Breakfast's at eight, if the power doesn't go. Now get upstairs before I throw you the hell out and let you stand out there all night, like a human snowman."

Mega swoon. I give him a quick salute. "Good deal. G'night, then, Bones."

"What in the hell…?" is his confused reply. I just grin and head for the stairs.

*

The room, it turns out, is a dream. I get the best sleep I've had in eons, and the thought of my empty apartment suddenly doesn't seem so sad anymore. I wake up to a gentle knock on the door—much too gentle to be Leonard.

"Good morning," Christine says, peering inside. "Everyone decent?"

"I think so." I look down at myself, under the covers, just for good measure. I'm shirtless, having slept in only my boxers, but that's all covered up anyway. I sit up and yawn into a curled fist. "Lemme guess—time for the breakfast part of ye olde bed and breakfast?"

"You got it. Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, really well. This bed is way comfier than mine. It was actually what I imagine sleeping on a cloud must be like."

Christine steps inside and places a package on the table by the door. "I'll have to tell Leonard you said so," she says, which gets my attention immediately. Anything that involves more interaction with the hot-assed and hotheaded owner of the establishment is definitely something I want to pursue. Thoroughly. Christine motions to the package as she inches back toward the door. "That's for you. Change of clothes, if you don't want to wear the ones you came in with yesterday. Compliments of Mr. Grump."

I can practically feel my heart skip a beat. "Are they his? The clothes?"

"They might be." There's a telltale smirk on her face as she lets herself out. "Breakfast's in a half-hour. Don't miss it. Len's not big on latecomers."

As if I would even consider missing it. I jump out of bed and rush to open the package, finding a plaid shirt and a lovingly worn pair of jeans inside. And, it's a little ridiculous, I know, but I can't help but bring the fabric to my nose and breathe in the mingled scents of clean laundry and that woodsy aroma. Yeah, definitely Bones' clothes. The thought of getting to wear them all day has me rushing off to the shower in seconds flat.

From the smell of things, breakfast is nearly ready when I go downstairs to the dining room. There are two other people sitting at the table—a slim Asian man and a beautiful redhead with glass-green eyes, who smiles sunnily as I join them. A couple, from the looks of it, and an extremely good-looking one, at that.

"Hey there, breakfast buddies. I'm Jim."

"The guy who got snowed in last night, right? I'm Hikaru. This is my girlfriend, Gaila."

Gaila smiles prettily. "We're on a romantic getaway." She glances at the window and adds, rolling her eyes, "A very long getaway."

I take a look at the window as well and see that the entire world is white outside, the storm still going strong. I spare a thought for my poor car, probably buried in snow by now. "Yeah, something tells me we'll all be best friends by the time we can actually get out of here."

A young kid emerges from the kitchen at that moment and starts piling plates and baskets of food onto the table. He's got curly hair, damp and stuck to his forehead, and he's wearing a ridiculous apron, complete with ruffles along the hem. I hazard a guess that Bones isn't the one who makes him wear that thing.

"Hello, I am Pavel," he says, as he's arranging things. I glance at the others, slightly confused by the kid's odd entrance. Gaila shrugs and smiles, while Hikaru looks like he's fending off a migraine.

"Hey there, Pavel. I'm Jim. Thanks for making all this food. It looks great."

"Hello, Jim," is all the kid says, before rushing back into the kitchen.

Hikaru sighs. "That kid is too high-strung for his own good. I think maybe McCoy beats him."

"No," Gaila scoffs, lightly smacking his arm. "He's just very…invested in his work."

Bones and Christine walk into the room after that, carrying trays of coffee, tea, and juice. I'm almost distracted by the smell of the coffee, the way it's singing angelic hymns to my nostrils, but my interest in Bones wins out. He's freshly showered, with a damp cowlick of hair at the back of his head, and he's wearing a pair of dark-rinse jeans that fit so snugly, they ought to be illegal. He's a little broader in build than I am, so his borrowed clothes are slightly big on me. It's not that they don't fit—it's just nothing like the way they hug Bones' subtle curves.

Bones seems to notice that I'm staring, given the way he looks back at me, nostrils flared, and says, "What?"

"Nothing. Good morning, Bones." I put on my most winning smile. "Thanks for the change of clothes. And the coffee. If this hospitality keeps up, I think I might fall madly in love with you."

"You're welcome," he says, averting his eyes. "Now quit it with that nickname."

"What, 'Bones'? I think it suits you. Doesn't it suit him?" I ask Hikaru and Gaila. They both seem to consider it.

"I like it," Gaila says, pouring a cup of tea. "It's all rough and tumble."

Bones gives her a look that says he'd throw her right out on her ass if there weren't a blizzard going on outside. She smiles sweetly in return. I decide right then and there that I like her.

Pavel makes an appearance again, this time without the apron. "Good morning, everyone," he says, in a thick, Russian accent. "Today for breakfast is scrambled eggs, bacon, roasted potatoes, fried tomatoes, and a variety of muffins." Everything looks and smells amazing, and my mouth waters.

"Pavel, do you think I can talk you into leaving this place and coming to live with me?" I ask. "I can't offer you much but my apartment has a killer showerhead."

"He works here," Bones says, stabbing a tomato with his fork and flicking it onto his plate. "So keep your propositions to yourself."

I try not to laugh as I pour myself a cup of coffee. "You know, Bones, for a guy who runs some nice accommodations here, you're not very accommodating." Across the table, Christine smiles at me, cutting up her potatoes. Bones just grunts and shoves eggs into his mouth.

"I'm letting you stay, aren't I? Coulda left you outside to catch frostbite."

"I know, Bonesy. You saved me, and for that, you're my hero."

I'm laying it on pretty thick here, I know, but I figure I've got something going here, so I reach over and rest a hand on Bones' forearm to make the moment memorable. No one seems to appreciate my attempt at humor, though, because all of the clinking of cutlery and chewing noises come to a sudden halt. Pavel looks especially confused and Hikaru coughs when something goes down the wrong pipe. Gaila, on the other hand, can't stop grinning. See, she's a keeper.

Bones, for his part, goes slightly red in the face and jerks his arm away from me, grabbing his plate and drink.

"Gonna eat in my office," he says to no one in particular, standing up from the table. "See you at lunch."

He vacates the room so quickly, there might as well be skid marks on the floor. It appears that Bones is not one for jokes—which is too bad, because I'm all about them. Now there's this awkward haze that's fallen over the room. Even Christine's smile has dissipated completely. It’s Gaila who ends up breaking the silence, grabbing a muffin and sighing as she butters it.

"So much for the entertainment," she says.

I just tuck into my breakfast after that.

*

Lunch is uncomfortable, to say the least. The conversation is fine on one end of the table, as Gaila tells us everything we never wanted to know about her relationship with Hikaru. Inevitably, they ask me about my job and my love life, and I do my best to jazz up the dreary, humdrum workings of my office. In the end, I can't muster up that much excitement and they all seem to realize quickly that my lot in life is of the dead-end, dream-killing sort.

I don't even get into the love life stuff. A string of casual hookups, while fun for me, doesn't exactly make for sparkling conversation.

"But I do not quite understand," Pavel interjects at one point. "What does it mean, exactly, to be a consultant?"

"I, um…consult people?" I say. "I give them advice about their professional decisions."

"What kind of advice?" Hikaru asks, eyebrows furrowed. "What qualifies you?"

I shrug and wipe his mouth with a tissue, trying to drop the subject before I'm forced to go into detail and render everyone dead from boredom. "I have a lot of experience in the field. It's a job, basically. It is what it is."

"But what is what it is?" Pavel frowns and shakes his head. "This is very confusing."

"I'll say," Christine adds. "Some people just have confusing jobs, though. Gotta pay the rent somehow."

"Exactly," I say.

Bones just sits and chews adamantly, throwing the occasional glance my way as I flounder to explain my inexplicable career. He looks unimpressed overall, and maybe a little concerned? I'm probably imagining it. Either way, I take his flickering attention as an opportunity to change the subject.

"How about you, Bones? How long have you been running this place?"

"Long enough," he says between mouthfuls of food. Beside him, Christine stirs into action.

"About six years now. I came onboard about three years ago and Pavel's the newbie; we hired him last year."

Pavel nods vigorously. "I'm working to save money for graduate school."

"Oh, cool." I prod at my salad with my fork and look back at Bones. I wish he would deign to answer a question in more than four words. "So, uh…what made you decide to open a B&B anyway?"

"It's a long story," Bones says, staring down at his food. I do a quick mental count—yep, four words.

"Well, tell us about it. It's not like we've got anything else to do," I say with a shrug. "Can't exactly go out for a stroll."

"Let's talk about something else," Christine says. She looks to Gaila and Hikaru, as if for support, for a second, I have to wonder if I'm taking crazy pills, what with the way everyone's walking on eggshells around Bones. Surely Mr. Grump can't be _that_ grumpy.

"I'm just asking a question. What's the big deal? Is every topic of conversation related to Bones off-limits or what?"

"Damn it, Jim!" Bones suddenly shouts. It seems to reverberate through the entire main floor of the house. And it certainly shuts me up. Damn. "What in the hell is _wrong_ with you? Why d'you have pry like that? I said to leave it, so you should damn well leave it, all right?"

"I'm making conversation!" I put my fork down, stunned. "What's your problem, Bones?"

"That goddamn nickname, for starters," he snarls. His accent is much stronger, now that he's angry. It would be hot if it weren't so, well…angry. "And the fact that you're a guest in my establishment, mainly out of the kindness of my heart. So stop being so damn nosy before I send you out to find your car in that three feet of snow."

"I just wanna get to know you," I say, more plaintive than I'd prefer. The weird thing is, it's true—I really _do_ want to get to know Bones. Usually, I can't ever be bothered with that sort of thing, but fuck if it isn't the truth this time around. And I'm not even sure why. There's just something about him.

The others must sense the crack in my veneer, because they all start to rise from their seats and make their excuses to leave.

"So, um, Gaila and I are going to go hang out in our room," Hikaru says. "Thanks for lunch, guys. It was great."

"Yes," Pavel adds sheepishly. "Thank you. We will clean up."

Soon, the table is deserted and it's dead quiet as I find myself alone with Bones. He won't quite look me in the eye, which is too bad, because I would really love to get another good look at those hazel beauties. But I can also take a hint, so I resign myself to forgetting about it. I can be thickheaded sometimes, sure, but even I know how to respond to someone yelling at me in front of a table full of strangers.

"Sorry," I finally say to him. "I just. I thought maybe…" I trail off because there's no point in trying to explain when I'm not even sure of what I want to say. Plus, I don't want to trigger any more shouting. "I'll stop flirting with you, okay? Promise."

"Jim, you don't…" Bones exhales and runs a palm over his face. His extremely handsome face. Damn, why does he have to be so unapproachable? "I can't believe you've only been here a little over twelve hours. Seems like twelve years."

Is that a sense of humor I detect? I dare to smile at that. "I'm sure that's not a compliment, but I'm happy to take it as one."

"Why am I not surprised?" Bones gets to his feet, collecting his remaining dishes. When he finally pauses to look at me, it feels electric. Why can't I shake this feeling that there's something here? Between us, that is. Something good? "Sorry for raising my voice," he adds gruffly. "You'll have to excuse me, though. Got paperwork to do."

"Sure thing."

I keep a chipper smile on my face until Bones disappears from the room, then promptly let it fall flat. So much for that. I check my watch: six hours until dinner. And no sign of the snow stopping anytime soon.

I might have to kill everyone in this place just to keep myself amused.

*

The oddest thing about the B&B is the library. There are tons of titles on the shelves but most of them seem to be medical texts and journals. Someone in the family's got to be a doctor, because it's just too weird otherwise. None of the books catch my interest until I come across a collection of honest-to-god short stories. It's almost too good to be true—a way to pass the time until the next awkward meal at the McCoy Inn. I take a seat in a cushy-looking armchair and do my best to immerse myself in the text. Reading should kill a few hours, at least.

After a while, Christine comes in to dust. I don't notice her until she's next to my chair, reaching for the shelf behind my head.

"Oops. Um…sorry." I lean to the side and laugh. "My face seems to be in the way of your chest."

"I kind of put it there, so need to apologize," she says. "As you've probably noticed, there's a lot of stuff in this place. Sometimes I have to do some creative stretching to clean without breaking anything or falling and killing myself."

"I guess Bones is a collector, huh?" I pause and correct myself. "That is…Leonard. Is what I meant to say."

Christine nods with a small smirk. "He is, yeah. And you should keep calling him that. I think he likes it."

"You mean to tell me that whole scene at lunch was for shits and giggles?"

She shrugs and runs a cloth over a tabletop. "To be honest, I just don't think he's used to it. Flirting, that is. It's been a long time since his wife left."

"Yeah?" A wife? Well, now we're getting somewhere. I put my book down, now that Christine has got my full attention. "So there _was_ a Mrs. Grump. Interesting. Was she the doctor?" I ask, motioning to the bookshelves. Christine shakes her head.

"Len was. Well, he was in school for it, anyway. He gave it up so they could start a business together. He still does a lot of reading on the subject matter, though. Medical journals and the like."

"That seems…fairly ridiculous," I say. Because seriously—why give up a career in medicine to open a B&B instead? Not that I can judge, seeing as how I didn't exactly follow the path to happiness and nirvana either, but I'm willing to bet that Bones would've made a great doctor, especially if he's still so invested in medicine. Pleasant bedside manner excluded, of course. I don't know why I think so, but I do. Just then, something occurs to me and I look to Christine with thinly veiled suspicion. "Hold on a sec. Why are you telling me all of this? Is this a trap? Is Bones going to pop out of a closet and murder me with an axe for daring to listen to stories about his past? Has this been a horror movie all along and I'm the first to die?"

"You're much too handsome to die first." That makes me grin. Hell, if Bones won't flirt with me, thank god his employee will. "Anyway, despite what he says, I think he likes you. He's been kind of flustered ever since you showed up. And he's a grouch, yeah, but he doesn't yell like that unless someone really gets under his skin. So, congrats on that."

"That might just mean he hates me."

"It might, but I know him a bit better than you do." She thwacks my knee with the handle of her duster, which causes my leg to jerk. "But even so, tone it down, Don Juan. You just got here yesterday, remember? We barely know you and we can't even makes heads or tails of what you do for a living, so take it slow. Len is a delicate flower."

"Ow," I say, rubbing my kneecap. "Yeah, everyone here seems really delicate, what with all the shouting and the hitting."

"I mean it." Christine pauses in the doorway and smiles. "Try talking to him like a normal person. I promise he's not as impossible as he seems. Just a little bit impossible."

"That's encouraging."

"Glad I could help."

After that, I decide to take Christine's advice and talk to Bones like we're both normal people. Admittedly, I'm not positive what that means, but I can probably do it. After some self-coaching back in my room, I start to head down to Bones' office, where he's sequestered himself all day. I stop when my phone suddenly buzzes in my back pocket, for the first time since I arrived here. It's Uhura again, so I turn and head back to the room.

" _Finally_ ," she says after I answer. "The phone lines haven't been working all day and I've been trying to call you with no luck."

"Because you just can't live without the sound of my voice?" I ask, smirking. "I knew it."

She groans. "How are you such a massive tool? I swear to god, if it weren't for the fact that I'm in trouble right now, I'd tell you some creative methods I have in mind for mutilating your manhood."

I cringe and cover my crotch with my free hand. "Mutilation aside. Why are you in trouble?"

"Oh, maybe because the only copy of my report is missing, on a random thumb drive that the office yokel thought it would be funny to steal from my desk?"

Shit. The thumb drive. Somehow, I'd forgotten all about that. "Okay, well, it's safe. I still have it. I promise I didn't chuck it out a window or anything."

"Jim, I am so close to finding you and chucking _you_ out a window. Where are you, anyway? Did you actually make it home after your accident last night?"

"If I told you I was in the hospital, would you feel bad for not asking right away?"

Uhura takes a moment to consider it. "…Yes."

"Then I'm in the hospital. Broken arm, broken leg. Broken everything. Only the promise of sex with a gorgeous coworker can save me now."

"Too bad it didn't break your head," she sighs. "But seriously. Where are you?"

I sit down on the bed and look around, wondering how to explain. "I'm staying at a B&B. Which happens to be run by the crankiest, hottest guy I've ever met, who thinks I'm a complete asshole and probably won't ever sleep with me, even if the snow never stops and I'm stuck here for a hundred years."

"He sounds like my kind of guy."

"This is why you're my favorite."

"I know. But listen." I can practically hear Uhura pacing around the room she's in. She's got that steely, focused tone of voice that can only mean shit is getting dire. "Is there Internet access in the B&B? Because Pike wants that report, like, yesterday."

"What's his problem?" I ask, rolling my eyes. "It's the snowpocalypse out there. Can't he just accept the things he can't change and take a day off?"

"No. He already called to ream me out for not getting it to him already, and I had to explain that _someone_ took the only copy I had, in some lame attempt to impress him. So now, not only am I in trouble for not saving it somewhere else, but your ass is grass, too. Unless you find a way to get that file to me right the fuck _now_."

"Well, thanks a lot for dragging me into it," I mutter. She's right, though; I totally deserve it. I'm not even sure why I wanted to impress Pike so much. It's not like I actually wrote the report. It would have been a hollow victory at best. Now Uhura's in trouble and I have to make it up to her. "There might be Internet here, but I'm not positive. And I don't have my laptop with me."

"Jim, you _cannot_ fuck this up for me. This is my job we're talking about here. And even if you don't care, I do."

"I never said I didn't _care_ , I just—"

"Hey," someone suddenly says. I look toward the open door of my room and there's Bones, of all people, peering in with his bushy eyebrows furrowed in concern. "You need Internet access? There's a computer in my office."

"Yes!" I exclaim, which elicits a confused sound from Uhura. "Hey, Nyota. Sorry. It looks like I might be able to get you the file after all. Keep an eye on your email, okay?"

"Okay, good," she says, drawing a deep breath of relief. "This had better not be a prank."

"I promise it's not." I glance at Bones, who's pretending not to listen. "I fucked up, I know. But I'll fix it. You have my word," I add with some gravitas, to make it sound meaningful.

Uhura knows better, though. "Well, whoop-dee-fucking-doo," she says, before she hangs up on me.

*

All things considered, Bones' office is pretty homey, but extremely organized, with every single item in its rightful place. It, too, is filled with books, and the furniture is all mahogany. Weirdly, there are no windows, and I get a sad feeling, thinking of him sitting in this room day after day, without any way to look out on the world. But maybe he wants it this way. He must.

"All right," he says, sitting down at the computer. "You got that thumb drive?"

"Yep." I hand it over and watch as Bones opens the folder with all of the corresponding files. Thank god it's still there, or I'd have to avoid Uhura forever, lest I be forced to live out the rest of my days as a eunuch. "That's it," I say, pointing to a specific document. I end up leaning a little too much into his personal space, and he tosses me a look which sends me scooting backwards. Bones copies the file to his desktop and then opens up a browser.

"You wanna send it over?" he asks, rising from the chair. I give him the most grateful look I can muster as I nod and sit.

"Bones. Seriously. Thank you so much. You're totally saving my ass, here."

He folds his arms over his chest and frowns, but doesn't say anything about the nickname. Maybe Christine was right and he does like it. "From the sound of it, I'm saving your colleague's ass," he says. So he _was_ listening. I shrug it off as I access my work email account.

"Well, mostly hers. But mine, too. Since I was the one who kept her from delivering the work in the first place."

"Why would you do a thing like that?"

"I guess I wanted some of the glory?"

His left eyebrow ticks up. "You wanted glory for delivering _her_ work to your boss? I thought you were smarter than that, Jim."

"It seemed like a good idea at the time?" I open a new message and then smile over at him. "Wait, you thought I was smart?"

"Clearly, I was wrong," he says, rolling his eyes. "Go on and write your damn email already."

Bones grabs a book and sits down in another chair while I get to work on composing the letter. Except, instead of just shooting Uhura the file with a quick, "lol, sorry, here you go," I address the letter to Pike and copy her on it. It ends up going something like this:

 _Dear Mr. Pike,_

 _My apologies for the delay of this report. I take full responsibility for the fact that it didn't cross your desk in a timely manner. Please know that Nyota did all of the work on this project and that it is, as always, impeccable and outstanding._

 _Sincerely,  
Jim Kirk_

I attach the file and send it without another thought. In less than a minute's time, I receive a reply from Uhura, which simply says, _Thanks, Jim_. Pike's reply comes pretty quickly as well, though it's a lot more foreboding.

 _Jim, appreciate the email. The office is closed for now, but come see me for a chat when we get back. Think we should talk about your future in the company. CP_

"Oh, man. I am so fired," I mutter into my hand.

Bones puts his book down. "They fired you?"

"No. But it sounds like my boss wants to. He's always getting on my case about every little thing, like I've disappointed him. It's like he thinks he's my dad, more so than my boss. Now he wants to 'talk about my future with the company.' That can't be good."

He makes a thoughtful sound. "Maybe he sees your potential and that's why he gets annoyed with you. Because you're busy pulling stupid crap like this."

"Gee, Bones, why don't you tell me what you really think?" I'm being snarky but his words hit close to home. I do admire Pike and he took a chance on me when the job market was in a black hole and no one was hiring. I shake my head and log out of my account. "Honestly, most of the stuff I do is out of some dumb urge to impress him. Why, I don't know. It's not like there's any upward mobility in this position."

"It is what it is, right?"

"You have a knack for using my words against me, don't you?" I want to be annoyed with him, but when I look over, he's actually smiling a bit instead of scowling. It takes me by surprise and I end up smiling back because I can't believe that it's actually happening. "Well, thanks anyway," I say, closing the browser. I'm immediately greeted by the sunny expression of a beautiful little girl, all curly, strawberry-blond hair and a big grin that's missing a couple of teeth. The resemblance to Bones is uncanny. "Hey, who's this little lady?" I turn the monitor so Bones can see and he blinks, caught off-guard.

"Uh. My daughter. Joanna."

"She's cute as hell. Nice work, Bones." He grunts and looks away, which, of course, thrills me to no end. "She live with her mom?"

"Yeah," he says, somberly. "Far away."

"I'm sorry." It's a dumb sentiment, crude really, but I'm not sure if any words could convey how much it truly sucks that Bones is separated from this happy-go-lucky little girl. It sure does explain a lot, though, maybe even more than the whole quitting med school and getting divorced thing—though that sounds like total ass, too. I rack my brain for something else to say, something better, but I come up empty. Bones isn't a jerk about it, though. He just nods and stands up from his chair.

"It is what it is," he says, as he heads toward the door.

"Hey, wait!" Bones stops and looks at me petulantly, which makes my heart speed up a bit. I could get used to seeing that face. "Thanks again for your help. Really and truly."

He nods and holds up two fingers. "That's twice now that I've saved your ass."

"Yeah." I bite my lip to hold back any of the things I want to say in return, like, _Hey, one more time and it belongs to you!_ or _You can see it up close, if you like_. "My ass says thanks, too," is what I end up saying instead. Bones just snorts and lets himself out.

"Great," he says. "You're welcome, ass." And I beam.

It's a start.

*

Dinner ends up being surprisingly pleasant. Pavel's prepared lamb chops, which have to be the best I've ever had. I'm jealous of Bones and Christine for getting to eat this food every day. No wonder Bones is so protective of the kid.

"So what'd you guys do all day?" I ask Hikaru and Gaila. She gets this devious look on her face, which reminds me that I haven't seen them since lunch, and I stop her before she can speak. "Uh, never mind. I can guess as much."

"And you'd probably be right," she says, nudging Hikaru under the table. He bites his lip and looks like he wants to hide. "How about you, Jim?"

"Oh, you know, this and that. Read a book, had a chat with Bones."

"You two talked?" Christine asks, looking up in surprise.

Bones shrugs and cuts a hunk of meat out of his chop. "We might've, a little."

"And no one died?" Gaila asks. Pavel coughs on a mouthful of food.

"Of course not," I say. I shoot a fleeting glance across the table at Bones. "It was nice."

Christine and Gaila both look very impressed, whereas Hikaru and Pavel seem disbelieving. But all I care about is the guy sitting across the table, who hasn't yelled at me in six whole hours. It's a personal best and I plan to revel in it while I can.

Dessert ends up killing me dead: some kind of glorious, gooey bread pudding that has me moaning over every single bite. By the end of the meal, I'm pretty sure that I'll never be able to move or eat or think again.

"Think I'll leave the front desk alone tonight," Bones says to Christine. "No one's gonna risk their neck out in this kind of weather. Again, that is."

"Guilty," I say, between sips of tea.

"All right." Christine dabs at her mouth with a napkin. "I might have a bath, then."

"I'm going to crack open that bottle of bourbon I got last month," Bones says. I can't quite tell if it's an invitation to anyone else. He doesn't look at us, so probably not.

Pavel smiles. "I will be studying for the GREs in my room."

"We're going to have sex!" Gaila announces. Hikaru blushes for about the eighteenth time today.

"Wow, kudos," I say to him. Because really, I'm impressed by anyone who can get it up that much. It seems that I'm the only one who doesn't have plans, and it's not like Bones is going to personally invite me to drink that bourbon with him, so I decide to make myself scarce. "Well, have a good night, everyone. Enjoy."

"Jim," Bones says suddenly. I pause, my heart fluttering at the prospect of Bones actually inviting me to have a drink and spend more time together. But then when I look at him, he just scratches his jaw and says, "Lemme know if you need a fresh change of clothes for tomorrow."

Well, crap. I try not to deflate too visibly. "Sure. That'd be great."

"Christine will drop 'em off."

"Sounds good."

"Okay."

As a wise woman once said, whoop-dee-fucking-doo.

*

After all that, it's kind of a surprise when Bones comes to my room and invites me to have a drink with him. It's amazing timing, too, because I'm about two minutes away from shucking off my boxers, hopping into bed, and jacking off to the thought of going down on him.

"You're…not wearing pants," he says, motioning to my boxer shorts.

"I was about to go to bed. I don't usually wear pants to bed. Do you?"

Bones does his best to look everywhere but directly at my crotch. "Pajama pants, yeah."

"Well," I say, shrugging. "I didn't exactly pack a bag."

"Put on pants," he says, his full lips pursed. "Then come have a drink."

Once my pants are securely on my legs, I find myself back in the comfortable warmth of Bones' office. I look around as he pours bourbon into two tumblers. His computer is turned off for the night so there's no smiling Joanna looking out at us.

"You need to use the computer again?" Bones asks.

"No, no. I was just thinking about that picture of your daughter. Super cute."

"Thanks." He hands me one of the glasses and sits down in the armchair, motioning for me to take a seat in the slightly less comfy chair nearby. "She looks like her mom."

"Really? Because I was thinking that she looks exactly like you."

The side of Bones' mouth curls up slightly, so I know I've hit on something good. Finally. "I miss her a whole lot," he says, sipping his drink. "It's tough, being away from your family."

I nod sympathetically, wondering where this softer side of Bones came from. I'll bet Christine took him aside and had a talk with him. She might just be my new favorite, with all apologies to Uhura. "Yeah, I know how it is. My brother's out in San Francisco and my mom's back home in Iowa. I rarely get to see them these days."

"Well, that's a shame. Too busy working at your confusing job?"

"Yeah, basically. For all the good that's doing me." I laugh faintly and try the bourbon, which is incredibly smooth going down. "Man, this is awesome. I can't believe you're willing to share this with me."

"Neither can I," Bones mutters. Then he shuts his eyes and shakes his head. "Sorry. I'm trying to be nice, honest."

I take another sip, longer this time. "Why? I like it when you're grumpy. I thought I'd firmly established that."

"Yeah, you weren't exactly subtle about that."

"Subtlety isn't one of my strong points," I concede, smiling. To my continued surprise, Bones smiles back.

"I did catch on to that."

We drink in silence for a while and Bones doles out refills, once, twice. It's oddly comfortable, considering how much tension was swirling around in the air just a few hours earlier. There's still some tension now but it's not hostile. It's manageable. And kind of sexy, to be honest. I'm staring at a shelf lined with poetry books, taking mental inventory of the authors, when Bones speaks up again. His voice is tinged with the liquor now, honeyed and smoky, that Southern drawl comes through in a way that speaks directly to my dick.

"Now, if you don't like your job," he says, "then what is it that you really wanna do?"

"Well, uh. Not really sure about that," I admit. "I've been doing this for so long that it's never seemed like there were any other options, you know? I've pretty much gone as far as I can go and now the next steps are limited to sticking with it or starting over. And starting over doesn't really seem viable right now."

Bones crosses his legs, which makes for a lovely sight indeed. "Why not? I mean, if you found something that made you happy…"

"Oh, right. This, coming from the guy with a house full of medical journals."

He frowns deeply and for a moment, I think he's about to completely shut down on me, now that I've brought up something from his past. But then his shoulders relax and he exhales, dispelling all the bad stuff. "That was one dream. This was another. I made a choice. I don't regret it."

"Sure, no. This place is great. But have you ever thought about handing the business over to Christine and picking up where you left off?"

"Sometimes." He rolls his eyes. "Even though the woman obviously can't be trusted, what with the way she runs her mouth to strangers about her boss' private business."

"Hey, don’t blame her. I saw the books, so I asked. It's not her fault."

"Right. Of course you did. Just sticking your nose where it doesn't belong again." There are a few strands of hair drooping across Bones' forehead, obscuring the view of his eyes, and I'm dying to reach out and push them back and away. He gives me a smug look, like he can tell what I'm thinking. "You're a bit of trouble, aren't you, Jim?"

I flush slightly at that and finish the remainder of my drink quickly. "If my track record is any indication, then yes. Probably more than a bit." Bones nods and opens his mouth to speak, then pauses for what seems like an outlandishly long time. "What is it?" I ask, trying to goad him.

"Well. It's just, um…" And god, could he be anymore adorable, with the way he's stuttering? Man, Christine must have given it to him good. He looks at me with uncertainty in his eyes, his fingers rubbing nervously over the exterior of his glass. "Am I really…the crankiest, hottest guy you've ever met?"

"Um," I say. Somehow I don't drop my own tumbler. Don't wanna mess up those nice hardwood floors. "You heard that?"

"There's not a whole lot in this place that I don't hear," Bones says, eyebrow raised significantly. "Including Hikaru and Gaila's bedroom activities, unfortunately."

"Whoa, jealous. I'm still hoping they ask me to join in at some point." I grin at my own joke but it falls flat when Bones groans and rubs at his temples, as if I've pained him. "Which…is an invitation that I would never accept. Because that would be wrong."

"Good lord, Jim. I'm trying to flirt with you and you're busy talking about jumping into bed with the other guests. Honestly, now."

That merits a cringe. "Sorry. I tend to speak before I think."

"I noticed." Bones puts his glass down on a table and rubs his hands together. The air in the room shifts somehow, and that is bad, very bad, because god, the flirting. It was so great. I want more; I want _all_ of the flirting. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," he says. "You've only been here for a day and I'm…"

"No, but…I just said the wrong thing, that's all. I can fix it."

"Jim," he says sternly, though his expression is soft. "How are you ever gonna learn any lessons in life if people keep giving you second chances?"

And, well. That kills the mood right there. It was already struggling on the ground, clinging to life, but Bones just went ahead and smashed it to death with his foot. The tone of his voice—it reminds me of Pike, of all people. Seriously, where do I meet these guys who think they know what's better for me than I do? Oh, right, in their own places of employment. How fucking convenient. I can't really tell Bones to fuck off, considering that it's his B&B and his office to boot, so I decide to leave before I say something nasty that will get me thrown out altogether.

I'm on my feet and I've got the door halfway open when Bones reaches out with a large palm and shuts it again, effectively pinning me with his body. It's…not unpleasant. At all.

"Jim," he says softly. "That was outta line. I'm sorry."

It weakens my resolve, to hear him apologize like that. "You don't owe me any apologies, Bones. You barely know me."

"That's true. But…you said you wanted to get to know me."

"Yeah. I did." I turn around to face him and feel his warm, bourbon-laced breath against my mouth, feel his heartbeat through his multiple layers of clothes. It's difficult to look up at him and meet his eyes, but I manage somehow, and feel tingly all over again. "So what do you want, exactly?"

This time, Bones doesn't use his words—instead he leans in and presses his mouth to mine, firm and almost searching. It's too good to be true and I don't want to lose this, don't want to let him get away, so I reach up immediately and cup his jaw, holding him there, where I can taste him. I flicker my tongue against his lips and that seems to awaken something primal in him. He catches at my tongue, sucking the tip, then dives right in and fucking _takes_ my mouth like it's his to plunder, his fingers tight around my hipbones. I give him whatever he wants, my hand clenched in his hair and my voice making ridiculous sounds of greedy want, need, and _yes_. Bones presses closer and breaks the kiss to murmur against my lips.

"Is this okay?" he asks, suddenly unsure again. "My ex liked it like this…with me being a little rough."

"Rough is more than okay," I say. "Talking about your ex-wife, not so much."

"Yeah. Guess I have the same problem you do."

"Well, you're in luck, 'cause I believe in second chances."

Bones laughs and clutches my shirt, licking the corner of my mouth, kissing me again. "God, Jim. It's just…this is crazy."

"Fucking insane," I say, nodding as I unbuckle his belt and wrench open his pants. He looks at me and swallows visibly.

"Only known you for a day."

"Yeah."

We exchange a heated look and then my fly is unzipped as well, and we're making out like teenagers as we rut wildly against each other. I wish I had a better chance to look at him, to take thorough inventory of his glorious body, but I think—hope?—there'll be time for that later. Bones trails damp kisses along my jaw and then tongues at my earlobe as he takes both of us in hand, pressing our cocks together with steady jerks, his palm coated with his own spit—which is fucking hot, by the way. Everything about Bones is hot, something that I surmised from the moment I stepped foot in this place.

"You really are trouble," he murmurs into my ear as he twists his hand deliciously. I give an embarrassing whine in response. "You like it like this?" he continues. "A little rough?"

"Fuck, anything, Bones," I gasp, trying to push harder into his grip. I wrap a leg around him, which earns me a faint growl. Also hot. "Anything you want…"

"What if I want you to stay?" he asks. And, whoa. That should stop me dead in my tracks, but the truth is that I'm really invested in his hand around our dicks right now. "What if I kinda like your nosy bullshit and the way you always say the wrong thing, and I want you to stick around and keep at it? Do you want that, Jim?"

I start to babble, the haze of liquor catching up to me as my orgasm nears. "Yeah, sure, definitely. I can say all kinds of stupid shit. There's a lot more where that came from. Fuck, just don't stop, Bones, _don't stop_."

"Won't." He kisses me hungrily and I arch into him, panting when he presses our foreheads together. "You want this? You wanna stay right here with me and let me touch you like this every goddamn day and night, make you feel so good? Make you mine?"

"Oh, _fuck_ ," I say—well, I gurgle, is more like it. I come hard from the sound of Bones' teasing voice, all over his hand and his borrowed shirt. Bones grunts and buries his face in the side of my neck, continuing to stroke us both until I whimper from a sharp pang of sensitivity. He quickly lets me go and finishes himself off, painting my shirt with his release as well. I feel bad for whoever has to do the laundry in this place.

After that, I'm distantly aware of Bones dragging me over to the armchair and pulling me down into his lap. It's a little awkward, not the most comfortable thing in the world, but both of our beds just seem so far away. I curl up against Bones and sigh when he cups my nape, feeling strangely satisfied and at peace. A nagging voice at the back of my mind tells me that I should be worrying about something important right now, but it can't be more interesting than the smell of that woodsy aftershave, up close and personal. I bury my nose in it, breathe in deeply, and fall right to sleep, dead to the world.

*

When I wake up, there's a hand combing through my hair. The rhythmic stroking gives me the urge to stretch and purr like a cat. When I stir and lift my head, it stops very suddenly. Bones peers at me with a guilty look.

"Hi," is all he says.

"Hey." I look down and make a quick assessment of the situation. For starters, I'm in Bones' lap. Also? "I'm not wearing any pants."

"Yeah, think we gave up on those somewhere between the wall and the chair." Bones chews on his bottom lip and I can already tell that he's been doing some heavy-duty thinking. "Jim, I'm not sure how much you remember, but…about the stuff we said last night…"

Just like that, it all comes flooding back to me: the frantic sex against the door, Bones' fingers digging marks into my flesh. The thing where Bones said he wanted me to stay with him at the B&B forever. Hey, yeah, that happened, didn't it? And I'm pretty sure I said yes? Despite my job and whatnot? I swallow and glance away from Bones. I'm not sure whether he's going to press the issue or take it all back, and I'm also not sure which would be worse. Not that I know what I want, either. Hell, like he said, it's only been a day. I open my mouth, searching for words that won't fuck everything up royally, when the door suddenly swings open and Christine, with her terrible and perfect timing, spares me the effort.

"Len, are you in—oh, my god!"

"Jesus, Christine!" Bones hisses. "Knock, why don't you?" We're both naked from the waist down, though I'm covering his naughty bits. As for me, I kind of pivot my hips to the side, in the hopes that the sight of butt will offend Christine less than the sight of penis. She just groans and covers her eyes.

"Well, excuse me, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind when I told you to play nice with him last night."

Aw, man. I knew Christine had something to do with it. Bones' cheeks turn slightly pink and he avoids my eyes.

"Look, we'll be out of here soon. Just give us a minute."

"It's fine," she says. "I just wanted to let you know that the snow stopped and they've started plowing the streets. Pavel's grabbing shovels and everybody should be able to leave by this afternoon if they want to. The end. Go find pants."

She leaves with a loud slam of the door. Bones and I exchange an awkward glance.

"Well, that's good," I say. "About the snow."

He nods sharply and looks away. "Yeah. You'll be able to leave."

And, wow, ouch. That kinda stings. A lot. But hey, I was wondering what Bones was thinking and now I know. Turns out, he didn't mean any of it. He wants me to go home. I tell myself that it's okay—that it was just sex talk and things can get batshit during sex sometimes. Especially when you're dealing with two lonely-ish guys who probably spend a lot of time indulging in silly fantasies. The fact remains that I got marooned here because of my own stupidity, and this entire experience has been a totally random incident. A blip on the radar, in the whole scheme of things. I've got a life of my own outside of this place.

But even so, why does the thought of leaving make me feel so terrible?

"Yep, back to the real world," I say. I'm pretty much working on autopilot as I slide out of Bones' lap and fetch my jeans—his jeans, technically—and put them on. "Happy to lend a hand with the shoveling, if you need it."

Bones doesn't answer at first, and when I turn, I see it's because he's pulling on his pants. "Huh? Oh, yeah, the shoveling. Probably will. After breakfast. I'll let you know."

"Sure thing, Bones," I say. I try not to look as dejected as I feel as I let myself out.

Breakfast is kind of brutal. Bones barely acknowledges me and Christine keeps giving me these weird looks, like, _What the fuck happened? Didn't you two just get it on, like, a minute ago?_ I can't exactly explain that her news about the end of the storm effectively crushed our temporary dream world about living in sexy bliss together forever, so I just shrug and eat my French toast.

All six of us take on shoveling duties, clearing paths from the doorway of the house to the street, and to the supply shed in the backyard. We also help Hikaru and Gaila dig out their car. It's a good thing that Hikaru remembers where they parked, because all of the cars have been stripped of their distinguishing characteristics and now look like giant lumps of sugar, all in a row.

I fully expect our task to end with a round of goodbyes, but Gaila surprises me when she says they've decided to stay.

"The roads are going to be hellish until at least tomorrow, anyway," she says. "And we really like it here. This trip has been good for us," she says, throwing a smile Hikaru's way.

"Very good," he adds, which I can tell is his dick talking.

"Well, it's been nice having you here, too," Bones says. "So, tell you what. The extra night's stay will be on me."

Gaila laughs in delight as Hikaru shakes his hand. "You sure, Len? That's so generous of you. Wow. Really, thank you."

Christine smiles and I can see a little wrinkle in her nose. "How about you, Jim? You going to stick around?"

"Well, I dunno," I say, feeling antsy as I'm put on the spot. I let out a gust of breath, which seems to hang in the air, suspended. "I mean, Gaila's right about the roads. But either way, my car's on the side of the highway. I can't just leave it there."

"I'll help you dig it out," Bones says. "Lead the way."

"You need help?" Hikaru asks, stepping forward. I look at Bones and can tell from his expression that he wants to keep this between the two of us. It's only been a day, but somehow I've come to know how to read him already. I shake my head and clap Hikaru on the shoulder.

"Nah, man. We'll be fine. But thanks."

We don't talk much on the difficult trudge to the car, nor when we get to work on clearing away the snow. It's hard work and it takes us longer than Hikaru's car did because we're both tired now. Eventually, though, I can see my girl again, no worse for wear, other than the fact that she's probably a little chilly.

"Car might not start right away," Bones says, getting my attention. I can see the clouds of his breath in the air now, too. "Sitting out so long in the cold and all."

"Yeah, true. I can sit in there and warm her up, though."

"Right, but the roads are still shit." He squints and shoves his gloved hands in his coat pockets. "Listen, Jim. You sure you don't wanna stay another night?"

"I dunno," I say. "I mean, it's nice of you to offer, but…it seemed like you wanted me to leave."

Bones lifts his head quickly. "I didn't say that."

"Not exactly, but you were all, 'Jim, about last night,' and then you seemed all cool about the fact that the snow was over and I could go home."

"I was giving you an out, jackass," he huffs. "And I thought that was what you wanted, 'cause you froze up and didn't say anything after I brought it up."

Well. That certainly changes things. I dust the remaining snow off my arms and try to process it all as quickly as possible. "Well, I didn't really know what _to_ say. We said some pretty heavy stuff last night, Bones. I'm still not really sure if you any of meant it. Or if I meant it."

Bones snorts. "There we go again, neither of us thinking before we open our fool mouths." He smiles sheepishly. "The thing is, I think I did mean it. But I'm not sure, either. It could be that I want you to stay, and it could be that I'm drunk off some kind of weird Jim Kirk high and I'm acting as crazy as you."

"You slay me, Bones. Really, you do." I walk up to him, which is really hard to do in three feet of snow, and without warning, I plant a firm kiss on his chilled lips. He utters a soft sound of surprise and looks at me cockeyed when I step away. I really do enjoy that cockeyed look. "Look. I'm not here on a trip from out of town like Hikaru and Gaila. I seriously live, like, twenty minutes away. I've just never noticed the place before because I don't need to stay at a B&B in my own town. But now that I know there's a hot, cranky owner, I am _totally_ down to visit all the time."

"Well, that's a relief. What would I do without you pestering me and getting into my business all of the time?"

"Right? Plus, there's still so much I have to learn. Like your favorite movie, your first childhood memory, what kind of lube you like the best…"

Bones rolls his eyes so hard that I think they're in danger of falling right out of his skull. But then he kisses me again, his tongue sliding between my lips, and it's warm and it's slick and it's good. I can tell now that this thing—this uncomfortable, uncertain, terrible thing of utter discomfort and sadness between us—has passed. Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out, sadness.

And what I don't tell Bones, at least not right now, is that I'm already thinking of quitting my job at that meeting with Pike. That I know he's going to tell me the company can't offer me the future I want, something I've known all along, and I'm preparing myself for that. That the possibilities are endless, and even though I want to take things one step at a time and do this right, I have a really good feeling about it. About Bones. It's the first time I've felt this way about anything or anyone in a long goddamn time. It's like something has just…clicked. For now, I keep quiet about it all, mostly because we're busy kissing the hell out of each other, and duh, priorities. Instead, I fist my mittened hands in the folds of his coat and pull him closer, reveling in the moment.

"Okay, one thing, though," I murmur against his lips. "Will you still let me wear your clothes, even if I don't stay the night?"

"Jim," he sighs. "My ass is frozen. Can we discuss the particulars later?"

I take his hand with a grin and say, "Sure thing, Bones." Because no matter what happens, I know for sure that there _will_ be a later, and that's the most awesome thing to ever come out of driving one's car into a snowdrift. Guaranteed.


End file.
